


Blame it on the eggnog

by Katsimsam



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Dancing, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, I Don't Even Know, Jaime is a big old flirt, Mentioned Aegon Targaryen, Mentioned Cersei Lannister, Mentioned Jon Snow, Mentioned Margaery Tyrell, Mentioned Rhaegar Targaryen - Freeform, Mentioned Robb Stark, Mentioned Tyrion Lannister, Mentioned Tywin Lannister - Freeform, Not Canon Compliant, Not exactly Targaryen friendly, One Shot, Pack Prompt, Pregnancy, Romance, Sansa has a naughty list, Wulf Pack 12/20, Wulf Pack December 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:01:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsimsam/pseuds/Katsimsam
Summary: Pack Prompt 12/20: Santa Baby.It’s the Annual Targaryen Christmas Gala and Sansa is hiding.It’s the Annual Targaryen Christmas Gala and Jaime has found an unexpected source of entertainment.I don’t even know. It just happened.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Sansa Stark
Comments: 34
Kudos: 127
Collections: Pack Member Stories





	Blame it on the eggnog

“You realise that you’d be far more inconspicuous if you simply kept to the edges of the room like a wallflower, than do -  _ whatever  _ this strange interpretive dance thing is, that you are doing, around that Christmas Tree?”

Jaime laughed heartily as the girl he’d sidled up beside without notice, jumped like a cat who just discovered a cucumber on the floor.

_ “Uncle Jaime!”  _ She squeaked. “You scared the life out of me!”

“So I noticed.” He grinned wickedly.

She huffed awkwardly and leaned in for a quick hug of greeting, even going so far as to buss his cheeks, like she might her actual uncles.

“Merry Christmas.” She smiled at him with false cheer.

“Merry Christmas, Sansa.” He replied, and grinned while watching her return to her up close inspection of the gaudy and obnoxiously over decorated tree they were still mostly hidden behind, from the room at large.

“Don’t like the glass dragons?” He teased.

“What?” 

Jaime snickered and fingered at the stupidly expensive looking blown glass figurines that decorated the massive spruce. 

“Oh God!” She snorted in disgust and eyed the ridiculous ornaments just as he had done when he first realised what they were. “Of course there are  _ dragons  _ in the Christmas trees _. _ Could they be more obnoxious!”

“There’s a massive ice sculpture on the far side of the dance floor, that depicts the whole family in Santa hats and heavy furs, in Santa’s sleigh.” He paused for dramatic effect as she stared at him in sheer disbelief. “The sleigh is being pulled by not one,  _ but eight  _ dragons in flight, in place of reindeer. One for each member of the family  _ born  _ with Targaryen blood.” He finished dryly.

“So apparently they  _ can  _ be more obnoxious.” He laughed. “The trees are noth-“

“Wait a minute,  _ The whole family?  _ Does Jon have a creepy ice clone?” She interrupted with an evil little laugh.

Jaime nodded slowly and tipped his head to look around the tree.

As suspected, the girl's cousin and his sister's broody but  _ likeable  _ step son had very clearly discovered that he’d been recreated in ice, and he was not impressed. - Not if the fowl look on his face was any true indication… Though the rest of his cousins obviously found it rather amusing.

The Targaryen family were nothing if they were not ostentatious. And what would their annual Christmas Gala be without vivid and plentiful reminders of their ancestral claims of  _ Dragon Royalty? -  _ Even with his sister’s at least somewhat  _ less arrogant  _ influence, the ridiculousness of it was never toned down quite enough.

“It’s actually almost life sized, and he does yes. He’s also been made aware of that fact by the looks of things.” He laughed along with her as she ducked and tried to peer through the thick needles in a bid to get a look for herself.  _ “Alright! _ I have to know why you are so determined to become one with the tree Sansa. What’s going on?”

He waited quietly, smiling jovially as she straightened and eyed him as if she was determining whether he could be trusted.

He had absolutely no clue what she was about, but it hardly mattered, Sansas antics were  _ by far  _ the most entertaining thing about the entire party. - Besides the tradition he shared with his brother, of spending at least the first half hour of The Annual Targaryen Christmas Gala, laughing over the decorations, and taunting Cersei about them from across the room, so they didn’t have to interact with her  _ darling husband. _

They were always forced to endure The Targaryens in closer quarters when the time come for the familial gatherings to begin. So by silent agreement, they gleefully left the weight of those particular societal demands on behalf of The Lannister’s, to their father, sister and Aunts. 

The elder generation of Lannister’s could at least feign interest in Cersei’s fool husband and his ridiculous family. He and Tyrion delighted in not even attempting it. No matter how much they loved their sister and her children, he and Tyrion just couldn’t bring themselves to respect her husband or his frankly horrid siblings.

Jaime raised his brows in question as his companion stole the scotch glass from his fingers and downed it in a swift pull, before dragging him closer to her side,  _ and further behind the tree. _

“I’m hiding.”

“Curiously, I had worked that part out on my own.” He snarked, and leaned in close enough that he could smell the soft perfume wafting from her pinkened and warm skin. “From who?” He whispered.

Sansa groaned in embarrassment and rolled her eyes, but curiously, she didn’t move away at all, rather squaring her lovely rounded shoulders and jutting her chin arrogantly. As if she was challenging him.

“Your  _ arse  _ of a nephew.” She whispered back darkly.

“That’s a little mean! If you’re playing hide and seek with Tommen, there’s no need to call him an arse because he hasn’t found you yet.” He snickered at her exasperated look. “He’s only nine, Sansa.”

“You know full well I’m talking about Aegon. He’s the only one of your sisters  _ children _ that I’d consider an  _ arse.” _

“Everyone considers Aegon an arse. Even his own mother half the time.  _ And  _ my sister at least twice as often as that.” He chuckled. “He’s not my-“

“Oh I know! He isn’t your nephew. He’s your  _ step  _ nephew. But you don’t make that distinction for any of them. Jon even calls you Uncle Jaime.”

“That’s because I like Jon. He’s as respectful to his step mother as he is his mother, he openly adores his younger siblings, and he likes his Father about as much as I do.” Jaime shrugged lazily. “It’s the same for Rhaenys, and of course Myrcella and Tommen are half Lannister, and as sweet as can be, so liking those two is easy.”

They all called him Uncle Jaime, and he didn’t really mind at all, even though Rhaenys and Aegon were born of Rhaegar's first marriage to Elia Martell, and Jon was the love child he had with Lyanna Stark during his divorce from her. Making the three of them his sisters step children rather than her biological children, like Myrcella and Tommen both were.

He didn’t even tend to care that the rest of The Stark and Martell broods tended to follow suit for some unexplained reason. None of them truly knew him well enough in his opinion, to consider him an uncle figure, but the title had been bestowed upon him anyway.

Sansa herself had called him that, not even a handful of minutes beforehand.

“They are lovely kids, and Jon adores them both. And Rhaenys is more a Martell than anything else… But Aeg is-“

_ “The promised one?”  _ Jaime snorted and rolled his eyes as she huffed in agreement. “He’s his Father reborn, a posturing peacock who considers himself a gift from God, sent to save the world with a flick of his shiny silver hair.”

Jaime smiled indulgently as the lovely creature before him burst into full out belly laughs, over his dramatic slow motion hair flick, going so far as to lean into his shoulder to hold herself upright.

And he was utterly charmed by both her laughter, and her easy comfort in his company.

He’d never really spoken at length with Sansa. He knew her of course, and he knew she was a lovely, polite girl, because he’d interacted with her in the company of others - family or society friends, many times. But as a general rule, the only times they spoke privately were to greet each other and to give the expected nod to  _ small talk.  _

They’d never truly had occasion to make friendly as they were in that moment.

It was a surprise for Jaime, to discover that the beautiful woman beside him was actually quite delightful and even fun to engage with more fully.

“Oh! See!” She continued to laugh, but straightened up a little so she was no longer  _ attached  _ to him, but rather simply  _ touching  _ him, with an unconscious hand resting on his arm as though it was entirely normal. “Jon told me before we headed out tonight, that he’d had a text from Cersei to warn me.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Apparently I was being discussed as a possible  _ candidate _ for Aegon to begin investing in the idea of settling down. Because apparently  _ that’s normal…  _ Hence my hiding.”

Jaime hummed in amusement.

It didn’t surprise him in the slightest to hear that his brother in law and his  _ arse  _ of a nephew had discussed his  _ prospects,  _ in such a manner. Nor did it surprise him to hear that their attentions would be drawn to Sansa.

She was a beautiful, graceful young lady, who happened to be very well connected in their world. A daughter by blood of both Tully’s and Starks, and a niece by marriage to The Arryn family too. Not to mention her being Jon’s cousin, and thus connected further still through him, or even her many friendships also. Furthermore, he didn’t know many people who would find fault with her as a person.

Even his Father liked Sansa.

Enough that he had been genuinely disappointed when the few dates she had shared with his little brother Tyrion,  _ whom she did not call uncle anymore,  _ had gone no further than that. - A few dates, which turned out to be more friendly than anything else.

Honestly she was quite the catch.

She was also a person with real feelings and her own rights and freedoms too. - Which he knew would have been his sisters reasoning for reaching out to the girl through Jon, to warn her that she was basically being discussed as if her attentions were a trinket for sale to the highest and most important bidder.

Cersei loved Rhaegar, _ Jaime had no idea why _ , but she did. She just didn’t agree with his ridiculous old fashioned way of singling Aegon out as somehow more important than the other children, or his need to map out a perfect life for him as the perfect  _ heir.  _ As if it was even still a thing to bestow upon the first born son such an archaic title and role and level of expectation.

Likely she knew that Sansa Stark would have been rightfully offended by being pursued in such a manner.

Jaime hummed in thought and even tapped his chin for the purposes of making her laugh again.

“The way I see it, is that  _ we _ have three viable options here, to avoid your pretty little head being unfortunately measured up for my sisters  _ Dragon Queen  _ tiara before the night is over.”

Sansa scrunched up her nose at the very idea of being shaped into the next  _ Mrs. Targaryen,  _ in such short order, without care or interest to her personal thoughts on it. 

_ “We?” _ She raised a brow having finally noted that he said that.

Jaime wasn’t sure what madness had come over him, but as far as he was concerned, he was  _ involved  _ in whatever game they were playing now.

_ “We indeed.”  _ He smirked. “We can hide behind this tree all night, and look as ridiculous as you have with your snooping through the branches.-“

“I’ll have you know that I-“

Jaime laughed and held up a hand to interrupt her rambling explanation and shook his head at her.

Even feigning insult and shooting him a put upon glare, she was a stunningly beautiful little thing.

_ “Or-  _ I can sneak you out and down the hall, where we might find some place less  _ gaudy,  _ to hang out and drink our way through this party…  _ Or - my final idea, and personal favourite, I might add - _ is that you and I can dance and drink and mingle as if we are here together, subsequently sending a clear message that you are just  _ not interested.” _

“But that would-“ He grinned as she paused and studied him curiously. Her lovely porcelain cheeks pinking up a little as she blushed. Her hand fingering at the sleeve of his suit jacket, where it still rested on him. “That would look like I  _ am interested.  _ Just-“

_ “Just  _ that your interests were already spoken for, and lay in a  _ very  _ different direction.” He shrugged carelessly.

Jaime hadn’t had any intention whatsoever, of hitting on anyone at this ridiculous excuse for a Christmas party. He had no intentions of hitting on Sansa Stark -  _ ever.  _ And yet there he was, spontaneously and even happily offering to be her buffer for the evening, so she didn’t have to hide behind the decorations to avoid unwanted attention.

And he was secretly enjoying the idea that he might just succeed where his sister’s idiot of a step son never even had a hope of finding success.

He truly was enjoying himself talking with the darling girl too. And he did not actually want to stop.

“Do you  _ want to  _ spend your entire evening with me, or is this about wanting to get one up on your sisters husband?” She whispered almost awkwardly.

_ “Two dragons, one… Heir to The Rock.” _ He joked with a cocky grin, bringing the old Lannister titles into play to counter The Targaryen  _ dragon  _ claims, and earning himself a snort of laughter. 

Jaime sighed, calming himself enough that she would know he wasn’t joking anymore, when he continued. 

“So far, you have been the most entertaining part of my evening Sansa. So I would quite enjoy spending the rest of it in your company - _ getting to know you a little differently _ .” He raised an eyebrow pointedly. “However, I appreciate that you might prefer that it simply be for the purposes of protecting you from  _ unwanted _ attention and I promise that in that case, I will endeavour to be the perfect gentleman.”

He grinned wickedly at the look of surprise on her pretty face, and stole back the glass that she had long since stolen from him, and eyed its emptiness contemplatively.

“Besides, should something  _ scandalous  _ occur between us before the night is out, we can blame it on the eggnog.”

Sansa laughed darkly, and swiped his glass from his fingers again as she sauntered around his side and past him towards the bar, looking back at him in what was absolutely, a sultry invitation to follow.

“They aren’t even serving eggnog tonight Jaime.” 

Sansa rolled her eyes again at the ridiculousness of the whole ordeal, and he couldn’t agree more. 

The only thing remotely  _ Christmas-like _ about this year’s party, was the single, oversized, token Christmas Tree, and the blaring and too bright twinkle lights. - Perhaps half of the insane ice sculpture.

The rest was simply a show of Targaryen wealth and self importance.

“So guess  _ we - or I at least,  _ will just have to blame it on having refined taste, and an appreciation for more  _ aged  _ delights, instead hmm?” Sansa waggled the empty scotch glass pointedly, and laughed in delight as he gasped and pressed a hand to his chest in faux offence, over her sneaky  _ age _ taunts.

He continued watching her until she leaned into the walk up bar, kicking her long leg out behind her to twirl the sexy strappy heeled foot, as if she was curling a finger in a  _ come hither  _ manner at him, while eyeing him almost innocently over her shoulder.

Jaime hadn’t attended the first society bash of the Holiday season, hosted by his sister and her husband, with the intention of either having a good time, or finding himself with such delicious company.

In fact he had not wanted to be there at all, but his respect for his family left him with little choice than to attend and not actually slight his sister.

And yet thanks to the stunning redhead girl, wrapped in lovely silky folds of gold, that hugged and teased the curves and lines that made up her lovely figure, rather than exposing swathes of skin, pretending she might actually go unnoticed instead of standing out, and shining bright. - Something she had the natural ability to do, Jaime was about to have the night of his life.

Unexpectedly and unplanned though it was.

She had hoped to not be seen at all, and now the two of them would be causing a scene that would steal the whole damned show, if he had his way.

  
  
  


The last thing Sansa expected, was to find herself in the arms of none other than Jaime Lannister, twirling around the exceedingly overdone and frankly tasteless ballroom of The Red Keep Hotel, during the Annual Targaryen Christmas Gala.

Truthfully she didn’t even understand how they had come to the point they had, dancing inappropriately close, with one arm slung around each other, fronts practically glued together and each of them maintaining a hold on the matching scotch glasses in their free hands, while they laughed and whispered together like kids sharing secrets.

With anyone else, under any other circumstances, Sansa would have been utterly mortified just at the suggestion that they put on such an inappropriate display. Yet with Jaime Lannister, it felt almost natural to behave in such a manner, and not care what sort of gossip it was stirring.

To start with, the Lannister’s had this uncanny knack for being able to thumb their noses at convention and walk away unscathed. For the most part, they weren’t harshly judged for their arrogance as other families would be, for similar offences.

But to top that off for Sansa, she had been teetering between being insulted and furious, and almost shamed and embarrassed, by the things that her darling cousin had pulled her aside to warn her about, in regards to his own brother and father, as they were heading out to the cars earlier in the evening.

So she really didn’t care what anyone thought of her behaviour. - If anything, she enjoyed  _ letting loose  _ with Jaime, even more because of how inappropriate it was.

She had wanted nothing more than to throw her coat and clutch down on the sidewalk, and stamp her foot like a petulant child, and refuse to go altogether, after talking to Jon.

The sheer audacity of Rhaegar and Aegon Targaryen thinking it acceptable to discuss a woman’s merits in such a disgustingly patronising way, made her feel sick to her stomach. The fact that it was her who had been the top pick in their dissection of the worthiness of the eligible women in their social class, made her want to slap them both in the face, so the whole damned world could see what she thought about being discussed as if she was prized mare being chosen for breeding purposes.

She didn’t even  _ like  _ Aegon. She was kind to him only because he was Jons brother. Even still, had he approached her out of genuine interest  _ in her, _ she might have entertained the idea of giving him a chance.

But to be  _ discussed  _ as a  _ potential candidate,  _ was a whole different game. One she was  _ not  _ interested in playing.

In the end she had calmed herself enough to square her shoulders, and get in the car. And then she had disappeared from the throngs entirely to hide herself in the shadows, once her presence had been noted and her duty done. She had known without really needing to hear it said, that her siblings  _ and Jon,  _ would be making a point of getting some sort of revenge for her offence anyway. So she had been content to find her peace on her own.

But then Jaime had happened upon her and offered a far more cunning and delicious sounding plan for the evening. One that would allow her to send the message clearly for herself, without risking insulting the hosts, or outing Cersei for having warned her in advance either.

And she had taken full advantage of it, intent on enjoying every second of his attention while she could, in the process.

She had actually had a crush on Jaime as a little girl.

Handsome as he was, little Sansa had been utterly smitten with him. - With his lovely golden blonde hair and shiny green eyes. And that sharp jaw and tall, toned body, and his quick, easy smile. Jaime had the very picture of a real life Prince Charming. And she had thought him simply the most wonderful man.

Of course she had outgrown it, understanding that Jaime was a career bachelor who was well over a decade and a half her senior. Someone who would likely never see her as anything more than a little girl.

Yet here they were, pressed together rather intimately, for the whole of society to see them.

And he was not only even more handsome, the older he got, he also apparently was  _ not  _ seeing her as a little girl, at all.

“My sister is looking rather smug beside her  _ less than impressed  _ looking husband. Apparently she is at least pleased by your upgrade to a Lannister.” He rasped in her ear. “And I’m rather pleased that our message has been received loud and clear, too.”

Sansa shivered at the feel of his warm breath tickling the shell of her ear and laughed at  _ his smug  _ attitude.

“She’s not the only one who seems pleased.” She huffed quietly, smiling at her cousin across the dance floor, where he and Robb watched her dancing with Jaime, with very obvious amusement. “Jon seems quite entertained by  _ my choice,  _ also.”

She pulled herself back enough to look at the man whose hand was flirting dangerously close to her ass, where it wrapped around her lower back to cross her body to keep her close.

“I can’t say that everyone else will be so impressed though. My parents might find issue with me spending all my time dancing with a consummate bachelor many years older than myself.” She teased him as he sipped at his drink slowly, while holding her eye.

“I’m not a consummate bachelor,  _ Darling.”  _ His smirk slashed across his face like the razors edge of a well honed blade. “I’ve just never bothered to try my hand at looking for something more than harmless, unattached fun. See, there’s this rather intimidating  _ introductory  _ step involved in such a thing - he goes by the name of Tywin. I believe you’ve met.”

“So you don’t date seriously, because you're afraid of introducing a potential girlfriend to your Dad?” She giggled profusely and discreetly searched out the man in question amongst the crowd. “And here I thought you were a grown man,  _ Darling _ . - Tywin is a lamb, provided you aren’t a simpering idiot, and provided you are willing to show him the appropriate respect.” She laughed even harder at his snort of disbelief. “And by respect, I mean the appropriate level of  _ awe!” _

“Fear. The word you are looking for is fear!” He narrowed his eyes playfully. “And after calling Tywin Lannister a  _ lamb! - Of all things,  _ I should say that you either have none, or you are completely mad. Possibly both.”

Sansa laughed delightedly and even went so far as to raise her glass swiftly to the man presently being discussed, over her companions shoulder. He was watching them intently, and with very obvious curiosity, as they continued to move together into the next song, without pause or any true effort at all.

“What-“ Jaime turned them quickly to see who she was toasting, his eyebrows almost meeting his handsomely parted and slicked hair as he looked back at her in sheer disbelief. “Mad. I’m going with mad.” He laughed at her and clinked his glass against hers before downing his own and nodding to her to follow suit.

Once their drinks were finished he swiped up her glass and reached out to place both of them on the tray of a passing server, and repositioned his hold on her enough to take her hand, without putting distance between them, to continue dancing.

“You realise he has ideas flitting about in that brilliant mind of his, now.” He explained casually, while stroking her hand gently with his fingers, and tucking their arms in close to maintain their intimate posture. “He won’t risk showing that we can be interrupted on the dance floor, but understand that at some point, I’m going to have questions to answer.”

Sansa hummed in amusement and let herself enjoy the distraction of dancing with someone as handsome, graceful and downright fun, as Jaime.

“You would have anyway.” She smiled coyly and let her hand drift even further over his shoulder, tightening the hold she had around his neck and pulling him ever so slightly closer to herself. “And if you truly minded, you would not have suggested that you monopolise my entire evening.”

“True enough.” He shrugged and let his own hand slide over her side and hip while his arm hauled her a touch closer again. Every bit as possessively as she had just been. “But what I’m not sure you are aware of, Sansa, is that my Father has already felt the disappointment of not getting to claim your lovely self for one of his sons. He was rather put out that nothing came of you dating Tyrion.”

Sansa snorted a laugh and stared at her partner incredulously for a beat.

Jaime clearly didn’t know the truth of her  _ dates  _ with Tyrion. And he was curiously showing her a sliver of vulnerability in bringing it up also. Whether he had meant to or not, it was clear he was asking about her relationship with his brother, without simply asking outright.

Which implied a possible interest in her  _ implied  _ romantic past.

“Tyrion and I never dated Jaime.” She laughed quietly and shook her head at his confused look. “He helped me with a class I was struggling with. He  _ tutored me.  _ And I repaid him with dinner after we were done studying a few times, because he refused actual payment.” 

“But-“

“We just thought it was hilarious that people thought we were dating.” She interrupted his question and laughed in utter delight at the fact that they’d apparently even fooled Tyrions own family. - And a little at the fact that Jaime seemed so very interested in knowing the details too. “Jaime, Tyrion was already seeing Margaery behind closed doors, at that point. That was part of the beauty of it. Him being seen with me in public helped to convince her to  _ go public  _ with him. So something  _ did come  _ from he and I  _ dating.” _

Sansa smiled widely and looked over at her friends where they held court amongst The Tyrells, directing his attention to them as she did.

“I like to think that I helped bring about their relationship as it now stands, and Marg likes to dismiss me having any influence over her decision to publicly claim her man, whatsoever.” She smiled as she met his eyes anew. “And I know for a fact that your Dad is well pleased with having Margaery for a future daughter.”

“He is.” Jaime conceded with a laugh. “But I do know he was quite taken with the idea of having  _ you  _ for such a position, also.”

“Are you planning on asking me out now, because you’re scared of your Dad, Jaime?” She taunted dramatically.

She couldn’t help but hope that his interest in her might be genuine, and that the things he was bringing up, and avidly listening to her speak about, might indicate that it was.

As silly and unreal as it might be, to think that  _ Jaime Lannister _ could possibly want  _ her. -  _ Sansa couldn’t help but to allow a small sliver of hope blossom, all the same.

“I was planning on spending the evening seducing you into wanting to go out with me -  _ for me,  _ actually.  _ Cheeky thing.”  _ He breathed close enough to her ear so that only she might possibly have heard him. “Unless of course, you just want me to continue to protect you from the attention of  _ others.” _

Sansa shivered delightfully and blushed, her body heating up even more and even tingling a little, under his direct onslaught of seductive prowess.

And with a few words, she was convinced that she wasn’t imagining the intimacy and the tension that had been swiftly building between them.

It might have started out as an offer of friendly protection, and a night of mutually enjoyable company. But it felt very much, like it was going to end in an entirely different and unexpectedly pleasant way.

“Well, we are cultivating an image tonight, that really  _ should _ be carried on for now,  _ at least, _ to be truly effective in scaring off that unwanted attention from  _ others _ … So if that is the case, at a minimum, we have another three Christmas functions to come. As well as the New Year celebrations following Christmas itself.” She supplied breathlessly. “It seems far more reasonable that we just see where it takes us, than for me to expect your continued help, without showing you the appropriate amount of appreciation, or returned interest.”

Sansa could tell by his hum of agreement, that he wasn’t sure if she was agreeing to additional interactions because she wanted to, or because she was repaying his help. And much as she should feel bad for confusing him, she found it quite endearing and amusing, that he was quietly contemplating what she’d said, and what she had meant by what she had said.

She pulled back just enough so that when she turned to meet his eye, they were in effect, nose to nose, a bare inch from having their lips pressed together.

“In fact, it might even be reasonable that we sleep together during that time.” She grinned at him wickedly. “Just to see if we are as compatible in bed, as we are proving to be on this dance floor. And on a conversational level also, of course.”

“Compatible?” He repeated stupidly.

She hummed in affirmation and waited for him to realise she was taunting him on purpose, while flirting rather shamelessly, and even propositioning him outright.

She’d never been so straightforward with anyone. And she certainly never expected that the first person she would attempt to be so with, would be Jaime Lannister. But she was not about to take it back either.

He said he wanted to ask her out for more than what their current carry on had originally been about, and she frankly admitted to a desire to sleep with him. And they’d both knowingly done it with the eyes of everyone on them, understanding that they’d have to be somewhat serious about pursuing an actual relationship, if they were to avoid the outright scandal that their behaviour was flirting with already.

In that moment though, those tense seconds where they could taste each other’s breath and stare unimpeded into each other’s eyes directly, they were all alone in their own little world, and the potentially hundreds of eyes on them, didn’t matter at all.

A slow smile worked itself across his face as it dawned on him exactly what she was suggesting.

Jaime pushed in and kissed her without warning, startling a surprised squeak out of her while setting her heart to racing inside of her, at the feel of his soft smile teasing her own, with gentle presses.

“Oh we are definitely _ compatible,  _ Darling.” He chuckled against her tingling lips, and stole another swift taste. “And now everyone knows it as well as we do.”

“Really?” She laughed softly, her face burning from embarrassment. And from excitement too, 

Jaime pulled back just a touch, and smiled with pure arrogant pride.

Sansa knew very well that if she was to look anywhere but directly at Jaime, she would have to face the confronting, and likely very embarrassing reality that he’d just kissed her for what she hoped was the very first of many, many kisses, with a rather large audience, that included members of both of their families.

“I’ll blame my inappropriate actions on the eggnog.” He whispered playfully.

“There is  _ no eggnog,  _ Jaime!” She huffed in exasperated amusement, and even whacked his shoulder for good measure.

He shrugged carelessly and released her hand to wrap his second arm around her body, possessively claiming her for all to see.

“There’s not.” He agreed. “We are also out of scotch, and the temptation to keep kissing you is rather high.  _ So! -  _ Do we rectify our lack of drinks and then  _ mingle with our fans,  _ do you think? Or are you happy to let me steal all of your attention for my own, tonight?” His eyes dropped to her mouth pointedly before returning. “I make no promises on behaving myself though, not now I know that you’re actually interested in properly accepting the full advantages of your  _ Lannister upgrade _ .”

Sansa snorted a laugh and pulled back enough to admire the handsome man before her more fully. 

Now  _ her  _ handsome man apparently… At least if they found in their bid to  _ see where their attraction took them,  _ that they were in fact compatible in all of the other ways that their present interactions implied they might be.

“You realise that I, personally, had no interest elsewhere - or anywhere at all actually, until you interrupted my _interpretive dance, hiding methods._ So I didn’t require an upgrade _,_ as you so proudly claim it.”

“My ego wants the boost it wants, Darling. Let me believe I stole the attentions of the most beautiful woman in the room, from all the young egotistical boys, who might have ordinarily, had far better odds than me.” He smirked arrogantly and loosened his hold to twirl her around by the hand, before following until they were strolling off the dance floor with his arm securely around her waist, and his lips pressed hotly to her jaw. “I  _ know  _ you didn’t want their attention, and I  _ know  _ you have accepted mine of your own accord. But it amuses me to know that the one others thought they could covet as their own without adequate interest or worthy reasoning,  _ chose  _ to consort with me instead… Even so far as to  _ see where it takes us…  _ That is an upgrade on your potential prospects, in my admittedly arrogant mind.”

“You’re ridiculous. - Why did I think potentially  _ dating you  _ would be a good idea, again?” She teased.

“Because you want to get me into your bed. Obviously.”

“Do I now?” She laughed. “Behave yourself, Jaime Lannister, or you’ll wind up on Sansa’s naughty list.”

Sansa laughed uncontrollably as Jaime froze in place beside her and gaped. She turned to plant a smacking kiss on his slackened mouth quickly, before shoving him away to a slightly more appropriate distance.

“Weren’t you getting me a drink, Jaime?” She asked as innocently as she could manage.

Sansa waltzed off with an evil little laugh, leaving him to come out of his speechless shock and catch her up, the moment his brain returned to full function.

She certainly hadn’t started the night with the prospect of having Jaime Lannister’s full and undivided attention, but she definitely wasn’t complaining about not having chucked the tantrum she had wanted to, and actually showing up after all.

If she had given in to that desire, she wouldn’t now be enjoying herself by causing such a stir with Jaime. And she wouldn’t now be enjoying the idea of just what might come from it in the future either.

So she didn’t even care to check on whether her clear message of disinterest was being received elsewhere. She had far better things to focus herself on.

The Holidays - and maybe even the future as a whole was looking mighty  _ golden  _ now _ ,  _ as far as she could tell.

  
  


——————

  
  


“What are you doing?”

Sansa laughed softly to herself as her handsome fool of a boyfriend jumped as if he’d been sprung doing something he  _ really  _ shouldn’t be doing, and spun around to face her.

He’d been acting shady all day - and not just by getting excessively playful as they were getting ready, as she discovered he tended to do if he was planning a bit of a game of  _ Hide and Seek: Naughty Jaime edition. AKA - search me out so we can have sex in some deserted hallway to avoid the party. -  _ Like he was known to attempt with her from time to time.

In that very moment, he looked adorably sheepish and just a little bit nervous too. So whatever he was up to, it was not his usual tricks to get them out of spending all night playing by society's rules.

Sansa cocked a brow in question, and crossed her arms over her chest, silently demanding answers and curiously enjoying his child like squirming.

“This is-“ He paused and cleared his throat, and waved at the large tree he was hiding behind. “-where  _ we  _ began.”

She smiled softly and stepped into him fully, wrapping her arms up and around his neck.

The last year had been every bit as  _ golden,  _ as she had predicted it would be, while walking away from the dance floor for the first time that night. Exactly one year beforehand.

Since that night, she and Jaime had only grown more and more aware of each other. They’d learned each other's hopes and dreams and fears. They’d discovered that in each other they had the perfect shoulder to lean on, and the ultimate partner in scandal, and the absolute best of friends too. They’d learned they were  _ compatible _ in every possible way.

And they had fallen harder and faster in love, than either of them could have possibly predicted they might, when he offered to protect her from the unwanted attention of another.

A year on - a perfect, wonderful  _ golden  _ year into their relationship, and they were back at the very beginning. Massive Christmas tree and horrid decorations, and all.

“I know Jai.” She sighed happily and smiled at the tree - a different one, of course. But set up in exactly the same position, and hilariously sporting even more dragon ornaments than the previous year. “A whole year, and I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

He hummed in agreement and laid a soft kiss to her jaw as his arms tightened around her enough to pull her in for a proper hug.

“Are you planning on stealing me another glass dragon?” She teased, referencing the tree ornament he had stolen for her very first Christmas gift from him. -  _ A souvenir to remind her of their first night.  _

“No.” Jaime snorted a laugh into her shoulder and pulled back to smirk at her. “But by all means, Darling, feel free to repeat your gifts to me every single year! I’m quite fond of those Christmas pajamas.”

“It was a Santa hat, a ribbon and a lump of coal, Jaime.” She stated dryly.

Her foolish love laughed happily and half rocked her playfully in his arms, making her smile indulgently. 

“I know.” He waggled his brows playfully. “And that was all I wore to bed that night too. - A ribbon for you to unwrap me, a hat because  _ ‘twas the season… _ And coal because I was a very bad boy and I made my way onto Sansa’s naughty list.”

Sansa laughed heartily at his cheerful reminder, and also at the memory of that exact meaning dawning on his face when she had gifted it to him. Even his rather expensive birthday gift was not nearly so well received as that first Christmas’s gag gift, and he wore the handsome watch she picked for him, every single day.

She could only hope that her next gift to him would be as well received as that very first one.

The anniversary gift that she’d been hiding from him since before even buying it, the one presently waiting for the right moment to be pulled from her clutch, and delivered into his safe keeping.

Jaime smiled almost shyly and bit his lip, before nodding at the tree they were hiding behind all over again, a little differently than they had a year beforehand, but much the same also.

“Hiding behind this tree changed my life once, Sansa. And I was kind of hoping that it would again.” He sucked in a very nervous deep breath and reached out to the tree, as if to pat it. “A year ago you agreed to dance with me, and then we engaged in quite a few crazy shenanigans that led to some hilarious rumours-“

“Because you convinced me to sneak away to somewhere  _ less gaudy,  _ after we’d already caused a stir by practically rubbing on each other, and then kissing on the dance floor, and then laughing like idiots and even making out a bit like drunk teenagers a few extra times too, all for everyone to see!”

“I don’t regret a single thing! Especially not us having sex that night! I certainly don’t care that everyone knew that that’s exactly why we left early and  _ together.”  _ He hit back with an annoying amount of cocky charm. “Anyway… I don’t know if it was in this exact spot, or on that dance floor, or by the bar at some point, or hours later while we were  _ testing our compatibility  _ for the first, second or third time, that I actually fell in love with you. But I know it was definitely within that first night.”

Sansa bit back the reprimand dancing on her tongue, in light of the sweet turn he had made in his words. And instead smiled and let her fingers come to rest at the back of his neck, where they often did when she wanted to subtly show her affection.

“I love you.” She whispered.

“I know you do, Beautiful.”

Jaime smiled softly and lifted his hand, displaying the gift she didn’t even notice him retrieving from anywhere.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but I fell in love with you that very first night, Sansa. And every single night since... Over and over again, I’ve fallen in love with you even more. So, if it’s alright with you, I’d like for  _ our  _ lives to change again, in the same spot that you changed my life a year ago.” Her heart was beginning to pound hard in her chest and tears pricked the backs of her eyes, as suspicion mounted over the contents of the gift he was still holding out, but not actually  _ giving to her _ yet _.  _ “This ornament is  _ way better  _ than a glass dragon… What’s glass compared to diamond, and what’s a dragon compared to a lion?”

“Jaime?” She breathed in question. 

She was shaking in his arms, but she’d never been so happy or excited or overwhelmed with love, as she was in that moment.

“Marry me?” He asked seriously. - Nervously. “Agree, and we can steal the show again tonight? And every other night too if you want… Marry me and we can spend our whole lives being scandalous rascals together.”

She laughed and nodded around her tears at his silly taunting and opened the box he had finally given over. Beaming at him as she sobbed.

“Yes Jaime. I’ll marry you, and I’ll help you steal every single show for the rest of our lives, and even indulge in your need to scandalise every single person we know, for the rest of our lives too. If that’s what you want me to do. Because I fall in love with you over and over again, every day, too.” She laughed wetly and let him pull the ring free and slip onto her finger, before stealing a deep kiss, and hugging him with everything she had. 

“I have a gift for you too, you know.”

“Will it top mine?” He sassed, laughing heartily at his own cheek, to hide the happy tremors in his voice. “Because you gotta admit, I’m definitely setting a high bar tonight, My soon-to-be-wife.” 

Sansa snorted a laugh and flicked her clutch open behind his back, to pull her ‘gift’ free, intent on seeing that cocky smirk wiped clean off his face, the moment he realised what it was she was handing him. 

“Checkmate Lannister, you bring me a promise of commitment and love everlasting, and I’ll bring you life, made from that love.” 

Sansa didn’t have time to do more than squeal in surprise as he snatched the stick from her fingers and stared at it in shock for a beat. And then another, and another, until he roared with wet, sobbing laughter and lifted her up in his arms to spin her around and around, dancing her out into the open, and into the spotlight that he couldn’t help himself but steal.

“Is this real?” He huffed excitedly, while peppering her face with needy kisses, as he finally lowered her back to the ground. 

They hadn’t actually even discussed the possibility, nor did they plan on it. But she had known from the moment she figured it out, that Jaime would be happy. - Much as he liked to dismiss one faction of his extensive family as being completely ridiculous, Jaime was a family man. One who wore the title of  _ Uncle  _ with pride, even for those who weren’t technically his blood.

Just so long as she was no longer calling him that, that was.

So she knew he’d be over the moon at upgrading himself to  _ Daddy. _

“I put a baby in your belly?” He begged clarification.

“Pretty sure I helped, but by all means, claim it all your own doing. - A symbol of your manliness, if you will.”

She laughed breathlessly as he cupped her head excitedly, with both hands. - The stick proving the existence of  _ his baby,  _ not leaving the tight grip of his fingers as he did, though thankfully being held at least a little away from her face too.

“How long until I’m a Daddy, Sansa?”

“How long until I’m a wife, Jaime?” She sassed right back.

“Whenever you want, we can find a chapel or something right now if you want, I really don’t care to wait, so that’s entirely your call.” He shrugged. Obviously far more interested in  _ her gift.  _ “Now answer my question.” 

“Six months. I’m twelve weeks, and I’ve known for a little while. I wanted to be sure, and then I wanted to tell you tonight, so I kept it to myself for a bit longer.” She confessed, smiling sheepishly.

“So a quick wedding if you don’t want to have a belly, or we just wait till after… Whatever you want Baby Mama.” She huffed and glared, silently ordering him to  _ not  _ call her that. 

_ “No? Soon-to-be-wife it is then!  _ Now! Do we need to keep it a secret, or can I shout it from the rooftops?” He changed from teasing her to questioning seriously, so rapidly she could do nothing but blink, his continued focus on and excitement over his impending Fatherhood, making him a little crazy.

Sansa shrugged in answer, too amused and confused to properly understand what he was actually asking in that moment. She was utterly, overwhelmingly in love with her man. - Her  _ fiancé… The Father of her child.  _ And she had been since that exact night, a year beforehand.

But in that very moment, she felt it more acutely than ever before. So whatever it was he had babbled, she was willing to agree with blindly.

“Let’s go steal the show Beautiful. We are engaged, and we are going to have a baby.” She smiled at his smug grin. “Want to bet on whether our Dads get drunk celebrating tonight?”

“If Tywin actually gets drunk, we can pull out your Santa hat and ribbon, how’s that?” She joked.

“I fucking love you woman!” He practically exploded with even more excitement and laughter.

“Swearing gets you an extra spanking, for being naughty Jaime.” 

Sansa laughed uncontrollably as she strolled away, once again, leaving him in stunned silence and forcing him to catch her up as she sashayed her way towards her Mother with a wave of her  _ left hand. _

Jaime wanted to steal the show once more, from their Targaryen family hosts, and she was more than willing to deliver for him, a second year in a row. She just needed to distract him from his rambling enough to get him to focus - shocking him into silence with some sneaky innuendo and walking away, always worked.

This time they’d be stealing the show with a rather public announcement or two, and maybe for traditions sake, a few inappropriate public displays and maybe even a scandal if she was feeling particularly giving and  _ festive. _

And she couldn’t wait to cause a scene with him again.

Jaime caught her up halfway across the dancefloor and wrapped her up in his arms without hesitation, splaying a possessive hand over her belly and lifting her newly ringed finger to his mouth for a delicate kiss, with the other.

_ “Cheeky, distracting woman!”  _ He huffed against her ear, nipping at it lightly, knowing full well what it would do to her. “Now with your permission  _ soon-to-be-wife _ , I’m about to make a scene.”

Sansa laughed uncontrollably as he spun her to face him and dropped to his knees to nuzzle her belly, pressing her hand to the back of his head to show her ring off too, right there for the whole room of onlookers to see, without bothering to actually await her permission at all.

A year ago he had convinced her to step into the limelight with him, rather than hide in the shadows alone. Now she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

And once again, there was no eggnog for them to blame - nor did they need it.


End file.
